Posted on 27 February
2012 - Denmark, followed by Israel, Sweden,
Finland and the US provide the best conditions
today for clean technology start-up creation,
with companies in the Asia Pacific region
following closely behind when it comes to
commercial success, the first Global Cleantech
Innovation Index shows.
In Coming Clean: The
Global Cleantech Innovation Index 2012,
Cleantech Group and WWF looks at where entrepreneurial
cleantech companies are growing today, reasons
as to where they will spring-up over the
coming years, and which countries are falling
above and below the curve for fostering
cleantech innovation.
Thirty-eight countries were evaluated on
15 indicators related to the creation and
commercialisation of cleantech start-ups,
generating an index measuring each one’s
potential, relative to their economic size,
to produce entrepreneurial cleantech start-up
companies and commercialise clean technology
innovations over the next 10 years.
“The global macro-economic landscape is
shifting; fostering entrepreneurial start-ups
and growth companies with clean technology
solutions will be an increasingly important
part of countries’ competitiveness on the
world stage” said Richard Youngman, Managing
Director Europe & Asia, Cleantech Group.
The four top scoring
countries were Denmark, Israel, Sweden and
Finland. These countries all have small
economies and while they are the source
of much innovation, they have less ability
to scale-up companies. These small countries
need innovative approaches and collaboration
to compensate for the lack of large domestic
markets and inconsistent availability of
finance throughout a company’s life-cycle.
“This index shows that several countries
are on the right track, but clearly much
more needs to be done if we are to properly
address climate change and achieve a transition
towards a global 100 percent renewable future,”
said Samantha Smith, leader of WWF’s Global
Climate and Energy Initiative.
“The overwhelming majority of capital required
for making the transition to a low-carbon
future will come from a variety of private
sources. Developing a working recipe for
strengthening the flow of public-private
finance towards early as well as later stage
cleantech is key for countries that want
to taste the economic success of cleantech,”
she added.
North America and northern Europe emerged
as the primary contributors to the development
of innovative cleantech companies.
The US placed fifth
in the Index. However in absolute terms,
without factoring in economic size, the
United States leads in many measures of
cleantech innovation: the country has the
greatest public cleantech R&D budget,
the greatest number of cleantech start-ups
and investors, as well as the most venture
capital, private equity, and M&A deals
in cleantech.
However, the Asia Pacific
region performs well when it comes to scaling
up entrepreneurial cleantech companies to
wider commercial success and revenue creation.
While currently seeing fewer emerging cleantech
start-ups and placing 13th, China leads
in cleantech manufacturing, is strong in
early-stage growth, and shows potential
to produce more early stage innovation in
the future.
The country is rapidly
gaining access to funding due to success
in raising money for cleantech-focused funds.
Additionally, China has been home to the
majority of cleantech IPOs since 2009, many
of which listed on the recently established
ChiNext board of the Shenzhen stock exchange.
Similarly, India scores
12th but is performing well in fund raising
towards Cleantech focused funds and has
much activity in later stage Cleantech companies.
+ More
Polar seas protection
on ice
Posted on 27 February
2012 - Due to procedural objections by mostly
non-polar states and the industry lobby,
the International Maritime Organization
(IMO), the United Nations body tasked with
developing shipping regulations, shelved
the development of the environmental section
of the Polar Code until 2013, increasing
the risk of harm to both the Arctic and
Antarctic.
This is a major setback
for polar environmental protection; considering
how quickly the polar environment is changing
and how sensitive these areas are, these
rules need to be developed sooner rather
than later.
“A delay in protecting
these fragile seas is bad enough,” says
Dr. Simon Walmsley, Marine Manager for WWF
International. “Of most concern is the attempt
to altogether halt the development of rules
to decrease the environmental impact from
polar shipping.”
Rapid warming in the Arctic particularly
has led to the opening up of sea routes
in the area. Both the Northern Sea Route
(above Russia and Scandinavia) and the Northwest
Passage (above Alaska and Canada) have seen
substantial increases in shipping over the
past few years. The Northern Sea route in
particular is being targeted as a route
for tanker and bulk traffic. Shipping through
the Northern Sea Route increased by three
times between 2010 and 2011.
“The rules that could be instituted by a
polar code are essential for making this
increased traffic safer and more environmentally
responsible,” says Lars Erik Mangset, Shipping
and Climate Advisor at WWF Norway.
“These rules could limit
emissions and discharges of pollutants to
both the air and water, they could also
help to limit climate change impacts, and
reduce disturbance and strikes of marine
mammals. The longer the Polar Regions are
deprived of these protections, the greater
the risk. It is unacceptable that these
globally important areas are deprived of
environmental protection and that commercial
interests without a stake in the future
of Polar Regions should override the development
of environmental protection. ”
WWF is calling on all states and commercial
interests to work on developing the environmental
chapter of the IMO Polar Code without delay
to ensure the protection of these globally
significant Polar Regions from harmful effects
of shipping activities.
